Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-03-11
CIiAHTER IN.

CHAPTER IN.
things were almost coming 70 q re-
60: never we're poor tenant f:rmers
So ground down and oppressed as those
o. the estate of Moat-Grange. Rents
" re raised, expenses. properly falling
on landlords. refused to be paid or al
lowed for. Mr.. Dalrymple. the present
owner. was ruling. with q hard Of
iron, hard and cruel
As to the Grange itself. the dwelling
mansion. it was the dreariest of the
dreary. When Oscar Dalrymple,
.hroug Oh the extravaganza of his wife,
bad been rendered liable for heavy
debts, he had sold off the better portion
of the furniture. retained two or three
of the rooms as habitable for himself,
wife and one servant, and closed the
shutters of the rest. There they lived
a life of righteousness; and Selma,
Airs. Dalrymple, would sometimes un-
lock the doors of the once familiar
rooms, and pace alone about their dusty
floors, in anger and remorse almost un-
controllable-anger against her hus-
band, who need not have proceeded to
this extreme pass, and remorse for her
own folly, which had led to it.
Three years went by and things grew
worse; more wretched indoors, more
oppression out. One day Mr. Lee came
up to the Grange, respectable farm
er, who had rented all his life, and his
father before him, under the Dalrym-
pies.
Sir" began Farmer Lee. without
any circumlocution, when he was adj
mitted to the presence of his landlord.
II am come up about that paper which
has been sent to me from Jones, your
lawyer. It's a notice that next Mi
ehaelmas, when my lease will expire.
the rent is to be raised.
"Welli" said Mr.. Dalrymple-
"a pound an acre"
. "WellP"
~ pound an acre." repeated Farmer
Lee, with increased emphasis. as if he
thought he was not heard Jones
must have made a mistake; you never
could have told him that, sir. My
daughters think he wrote it when he
was drunk; for every body knows that
he has fits Of drinking"
"They are the instructions I gave
him, Mr.. Lee"
ITO raise my rent pound acre!'
echoed the farmer. forgetting his gram.
mar in his excitement.
Exactly. The farm will bear it."
mo. it won't bear it, sir. and
won't pay it."
II am sorry for that, Mr.. Lee, DO.
cause it leaves only one alternative"
''And what's that?" asked Mr. Leo.
ITO substitute in its place anotice to
quit
ITO quit! to quit the farm! for me to
quit my farm!" reiterated Mr. Lee, in
his establishment. "Why, it has been my
home all my life, sir, and 1t was my
fathers afore me. was born in tina,
farm, Mr.. Dalrymple, years and years
before you ever came into the world,
and mean to die in it."
Mr.. Dalrymple did not acquiesce OF
object in words. He only looked al
him with Lis impassive face, and cold
colorless eye.
ats my labor, sir, that has made il
what it is" continued the farmer.
when my poor old father died, it was
not half the farm it is now. Early and
late have l been at my post, working
myself and seeing that my men worked
l have spared neither labor nor money
Ia bring it to it's present fine condition
you can't deny, Mr.. Dalrymple. thai
it's the best worked and most flourish.
ing land on the estate"
my good sir. do not deny it. say
Is you do; that it is too fourishing t.
remain at it's present low rent"
1.-The rent is not low, sir; the rents
n fair rent, fair for master and fair fol
tenant. Ask any impartial person, ash
Mr.. Cleveland, or ask Jones, and thcy'l
say as do. You don't seem to take
into account, sir, that my money has
brought it to what it is, and that have
not yet had q return for my money
spent. If you raise the rent twenty
shillings an acre, the money may JUS
as well have been chucked into thu
dirt"
Il can make no alteration in my de
cision." said Mr.. Dalrymple. Il have
these complaints from day to day
nothing else but complaint. The lane
on my estate has considerably increased
In value, yet those who reap the benefit
object to pay higher rent. Ihad two
Of you here yesterday, Watkins ant
Rumford."
They have spent money on theil
farms, too, they have, and the lane
;iasn't answered to it bad. Good farm
crs are Watkins and Bumford," nodded
the speaker. approvingly, 'but they
have not spent half what have. You
see, sir, we never looked for Mr.. Dial
rymple's dying young, and"
''Are you speaking of Charles Dial
rymplee" interrupted the owner of tn,
Moat-Grange.
mo, poor fellow. 1 don't mean Mr.
Charles, I mean his father. Squire
Dalrymple did die young. sir. so t.
say; you can't call a man under fifty
old. Well, he was good landlord
and we were not afraid to lavish money
on our farms, because we knew W.
should be allowed to reap its fruits our
selves. That's how it was, sir.''
"Mr. Dalrymple's rule is past and
gone; he was always Indifferent to hi
own interests. Had he been more alive
TO them, his death would not have left
his fami'- n the helpless condition that
it did,"
"You mean Mr.. Charles death and
Jour succession, SIR" boldly returned
:he farmer, though its tone lost none Of
its respect. "When Squire Dalrymplt
died and Mr.. Charles succeeded, the
family still lived on in comfort at tn,
Grange here, as they had done before
And as they would have done after
had he lived, generous young fellow "
"a squandering young profligate!
scornfully retorted Oscar Dalrymple.
well. he's gone, poor soul, and i,
will answer no end to speak for OF
against him, but he was a favorite on
every road throughout the estate. And
his death brought you to rule over US,
and l am sorry to have to say, sir, thai
your rules very hard one."
at will not be made easier" CURLY
rejoined Mr.. Dalrymple. Il told Bum.
ford and Watkins so yesterday The
terms proposed to you by Jones you
must accept, or leave the farm
The farmer took out his pocket-book;
huge leather affair which could never
be got in or got out without damage to